Car-coupling apparatus



(N0 Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. D. H. FREEMAN. GAR GOUPLING APPARATUS.

N0 408,341. Patented May 14, 1889.

Wi lllll l lllllllllllllllllll mmu li-lllllllllllllllll MIIIIIIIII 1 I o Mode1.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

1). H. FREEMAN.

- GAR GOUPLING APPARATUS.

N0. 403,341. Patented May 1-4, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

v DAVID H. FREEMAN, OF BRAZIL, TENNESSEE.

CAR-GOUPLING APPARATUS.

SPEGIFIGA'IION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 403,341, da.ted May 14, 1889.

Applieation filed February 5, 1889. Serial N0. 298,741. (N0 model.)

J0 aZZ whom z't may concer n:

Be it known that I, DAVID H. FREEMAN, of Brazil, in the eounty of Gibson and Stae of Tennessee, have invented oertain new and nseful Improvements in Apparans for Coupling and Uncoupling Oars; and I do hereby deelare that the following is a full, clear, and exaet description of the invent-ion, whieh will enalole others skilled in the art to whieh it appertains to make and use ehe same, referenoe being had to the aecompanying drawings, and to the letters of referenee 1narked thereon, whioh forrn part of this speeifieaoion.

My invention relates 130 an improvement in antomatie ear oouplers and i1noouplers The objeeo of my invention is to provide an improved ear-eoupler simple, cheap, and duralole in eonstruebion and composed of a minimnm number of strongly-constructed parts, and Which Will automatieally oouple when ehe oars eome together; and a further objeet is to provide means by whioh the oarS or any car can be automatieally uneoupled from the res of the train While in motion from the side of the trank without any danger or risk to the operator; and the mechanism is so eonsoruoted that the oars Will no be uneoupled until the part-ieular oar to be detaohed reaehes ehe uncoupling=point These objeets are aceomplished by and my invention oonsists in certain novel features of oonstruoion and oombinations of parts more fully deseribed hereinafter, and partieularly pointed out in the elaims.

Referring to the aecompanying drawings, Figure 1 isa top plan of the adjoining ends of two ears and the traek, sl1owing the uneoupling mechanisrn on the traek Fig. 2 is a side elevation of t-he same. Fig. 3 is a perspeetive detail view of the coupling-heads loeked and the uneoupling meehanism locaed npon either side 0f the traek. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail elevations of ehe ooupling-heads. Fig. 6 is an elevation of ehe hinged uncoupling post or lever loeaed upon the traok. Fig. 7 is a detail view of ehe pivoted lever loosely secured to one o1": the coupling-heads and adapted to engage one of the uncouplingposts.

In the drawings, the referenoe-leter a indieates a railroad-traek, and h the ears upon he same.

The coupler oonsists of the oouplingheads c d, provided with the usual draW-bars, e, secured to the ends of the ear 110 yieldingly give 130 longitudinal strain. One of these draw-bars is pivoted to the ear to allow lateral swing of the head d, carried loy the same, whieh is of ehe form of a horizontal hook open on one side to swing laterally into 01 fro1n engagement With the other head, c, whioh is construeted in the form 0f a vertieal open frame upon the end of the draw-bar, provided With ehe vertieal end bar, g, wieh whioh the hook of ehe opposite head engages When the eoupling is effeoted. This bar g is preferably eonstruoted longer than bhe thickness of the hook, (see Fig. 2,) so that the coupling oan be used where ehe cars vary in height. The hook eoupling-head d is yieldingly held to the limit 0f its lateral movementin one direction loy a spring, h, as shown.

lt Will be seen that when the ears come together the beveled fronn end of the hook Will enga-ge the Vertical bar g of the open frame of he opposite head, which Will throw the hook laterally against the pressure 0f the spring to pass the bar, and when its front end has passed the bar ehe spring Will force Ehe hook into engagement with ehe same, and thereby yieldingly hold the parts loeked together.

A rigid vertioal post,-h, is located uponone 4 side of ehe railway-traok. Upon the other side of the traek, opposite the post h, a hinged postor leverz, is loeated, and this post a1; is lower end is suitably hinged to allw its free end to Swing in avertical plane from a vertieal position beside ihe traok away fro1n the same, and ehe upper end of this hinged post e" is provided With a block er cam,j he inner faee of which parallel with ehe traek is preierably, although not necessarily, heveled or inelined frorn ehe eenter of the block toward the ends, asshown.

A rod, K, is seeured '00 and extends latera-lly from the side of the hook-head opposite t0 tha1; upon whieh the spring bears, and this rod is of such length that it will engage the block j when ehe hinged post earrying the same is swung into vertieal position. This arm or rod is supported to allow longitudinal movemenu of the san1e by snitable braekets seeured to the end of uhe ear. (See Fig. l.)

A rigid arm, Z, projeots forwardly from the opposite en l of tl1e cm an(l upon the opposite side of tl1e coupling, ancl upon this arm a lever, m, is pivoed in a suitable manner, as by a pin projeeting up throu gl1 a longitudinal slo, n, in the lever. The inner end of this lever is provided with a yoke, 0, loosely emlomoing tl1e draw-bar of tl1e eoupling-heacl c, and aclaptecl, when tl1e coupling is efieoted, to slide up upon the coupling-head and partially closo tl1e opening in oho s2une, (see Fig. 2,) and thereby prevent tl1e hook from becom- 111g acoidentally clisengagecl from the bar g.

The opposite end of the leverm is adapted to engage tl1e rigid post h, looatecl beside tho traok.

'lhe operation is as follows: Suppose bhe cars to be coupled and approaohing the uneoupling-point. If it is clesired to detaoh one of the oars fron1 the train, the operator 01 switchman Will swing back the hinged post until the cars preceding ehe one to be Cletaehecl havo passed. Tl1e posb Will then be Swung into the vortical position shown in Fig. 3, so that the rocl 7c can engage oho same; but just before this 10d strikes the hingecl post the lever m strikes the post h, and is thereby swung, anal ul1rows back tl1e yoke 0 from tl1e (30Ilplillg-1IGHLLSO filmt tho hook can be lisengagocl. The free encl of the rocl 7c will then 001110 in concact With one ond of tl1o block upon the hingecl post, und as it passes along its inolinecl face the rod will be foroed longitudinally and tl1row Ehe hook latorally agains the pressure of tl1e spring from the bar g of tho opposite heacl, and thereby uneouple tbe cars. If clesired, the rocl 7.: can loe provicled wlnh a notch, p, to engage onoof oho supporting-braokeus anal removably hold tl1e hook in its uucoupled position.

'Il1e front faoe 01": tl1e block on tl1e .hingod post is provicled with a friotion-roller, q, whioh will foroo clown the end of oho 10(l k a s it passes along the face of tl1e block, ancl th oreloy throw Lhe notoh p into engagement with the braoket. The end of the rod or arm 79 isprefembly provicled With an anti-friotion rollen 011 its end to engage the uncoupling-post 01 other devioe looated beside tl1e traok ancl adapted for the same purpose as the post 11 F101n the foregoing desoription and tl1e drawings the great simplioity und strength and duraloility of the construcion are obvious, and it Will be obsorvecl filmt the oars are both ooupled and uncouplecl aufiomatioally, and, if desired, tl1e coupling-heads 02111 loe provided With the usual rods o1 levers, so tl1at the coupling can be operated f101n tl1e cars. It is also evident tha various changes might be made in the form and arrangement of oho parts dosoribed without cleparting from the spirit and soope of 1ny invention; henoe I do 11011 wisli to li1nit myself to the precise con- Struction herein sei: f01t11; bot

\Vhat I (I0 claim is l. A oar-coupling heacl pro vicled with an unooupling 10d 01 arm extending laterally from tho same beyoncl tl1e side of the oar ancl adapted to engage anal be moved by a post looated beside oho track, ancl thereby release the Coupling-head from the opposite coupling mombe1, substantially as desoribed.

2. A carooupling comprising two couplingheads, a 1novable yoke t0 cletaehably hold the heacls couplecl, a lever connected to the yoke anal extencling beyoncl ehe sicle of tho am, und aclapted to engage a post locatecl beside ehe cmok and move the yoke to allow the separation of the heacls, anal a rod o1 arm extencling from one of ehe hoads ancl aclapted to engage and be movecl by a post located besido the traok, an(l thereby unloclcthe heads, substantially as described.

3. An automatic car-ooupling comprising a ooupling-heacl consisting 0f a laterally-swinging hook to engage the opposite coupling mombe1, and a lon gitudinally-movablo rocl to Swing 1zhe hook laterally to uncouple Ehe Same zmd aclapterl to engage and be oporated by a post looaed beside tl1e tmok and when the am is moving, as set fort-h.

4:. An automatio oar-coupling oomprising one coupling member consisting of a draw-bar hzwing an open fra1ne or head 011 its end proviclod with an end bar, the other n1ember (3011- sisting of a hook to engage saicl bar, and a yoke movable 011 oho clmw-bar zmd adapted to partially olose ehe opening in the head and hold tho hook therein subsuantially zus described.

5. An automatie car-coupling, a coupling member consisting of an open frzune 01 hezul upon tl1e ond of a clrmv-bar, a yoke movable 011 the dmw-bar ancl adaptecl to partially ernbraoe t-he opon head, and a lever pivotod to an arm of the (ja-1 to operato tl1e yoke and extending boyoncl tl1e sido of ehe car and adapted to engage a post zu1d be opora'ted thereby, substautially als clescribecl.

6. Means to automatieally uncouplo milway-cars, comprising a post hinged ab its 1OWO1 end besicle a milroacl-tmck to swing from a vertioal position backwardly fron1 the track ancl providecl With a block hzwing inolined faoes 011 its sido toward the traek, adaptecl to be engaged loy {und mov longitudinally a rocl conneotecl with an(l adaptecl to uncouple passing oars, substantially as dosoribecl.

In testimony filmt I olaim tl1e foregoing 1ny own I affix 1ny signature in presenco of t-wo witnesses.

DAVID II. FREEMAN.

\Vitnessesz O. E. DUFFY, PHILIP MAURO. 

